Eleanor Jacks soars on debut single ‘Run N Hide’

Each week, we select one artist to feature as our Spotlight Artist. This week, we’ve chosen ELEANOR JACKS. For more Spotlight Artists, head here.

ELEANOR JACKS is a sobering reminder that, indeed, big things come in small packages. She’s a 19 year old that’s moved back and forth between Sydney and Adelaide, and, with one song, she’s cemented her trajectory to superstardom. ‘Run N Hide’ is everything that you wouldn’t expect from a debut single and that’s exactly what makes it so perfect.

“These four walls, cloud my mind,” Eleanor Jacks sings with a voice embedded with maturity and richness. It’s a voice beyond her years, reminiscent of London Grammar’s Hannah Reid. It’s a voice that is so stunningly wise that it’s almost unbelievable. To hear soul flow out of someone so young is the only clue you need to realise that Eleanor Jacks is something special. On top of that, her lyrics are washed in youthful candidness that makes this song even more beautiful. “I’ll probably get a little bored and if I do it’s ok I’ll just get up and run,” she sings, wearing all of her intent and her emotions on her sleeve.

But what is truly astounding about ‘Run N Hide’ is the sheer bombast of the melody. Starting with only a few keys a barely-there beat, the chorus absolutely explodes in your ear drums. It’s an addictive shot of ecstasy. And it’s so much sweeter the second time round. By the time the bridge creeps into you with the breathless repetition of “I wanna go, I wanna get away”, you’re standing up and ready to run to nowhere.

This anthem is an un-jaded symbol of self worth and freeing yourself of inhibitions, both in love and in loss. It’s the wind in your hair, the sand between your toes and the sunlight on your skin. And it’s the freedom you feel coarse through you when the closing second of ‘Run N Hide’ fade to silence.